What’s yours then? CAMRA Highlands & Western Isles FREE Newsletter | Spring 2013 Branch Pubs of the Year and Beer of the Year Great Glen Pub Crawl (page 15) More bars with Ale Autumn 2012 Torridon Minibus trip report Branch Brewery Updates (see page pring has sprung! And we have probably elcome… to the Spring issue of our enjoyed the best weather we are going to W quarterly newsletter. In this edition: get this year already (if it’s like last year > Our Brewery Updates > Autumn Torridon & West Coast Trip report anyway). No matter the weather, we can Salways enjoy good ale wherever we can find it, with > Branch POTYs and BOTY > Pubs and Ale News good, like-minded company. > Great Glen Walk report In this, bumper-sized issue of “What’s yours then” (52 > Xmas Social Ale report pages now—another 8 pages of articles and adverts > Wetherspoons’ Autumn Festival ale report added for you to enjoy) the committee has endeav- > Focus on - Merlin Sandbach > Real Cider News oured to put together a round-up of how our local > Updated Real Ale Pubs list breweries are developing— some very positive and > Updated Branch Diary encouraging. If you would like to place an advert, please contact It may be that you spot some graphics on some pages one of the branch officers (see Diary page). that are a bit “fuzzy” in this issue—especially compared Advertising rates to the high quality of the previous 2 issues. That is not the fault of our printers (Jamprint) but is down to the Full Page Advert……… £87.00 fact that this issue has not benefited from being assem- Half Page Advert……… £49.00 bled by the very experienced talents of Mike Hammers- Quarter Page Advert…… £27.00 There is a discount on placement of your fourth ley. When Mike was putting the Winter issue together consecutive advert. Adverts are accepted on for me last November, he was fighting pneumonia and condition that inclusion does not necessarily imply since then he has been a patient in Raigmore hospital. an endorsement or approval of content. He is slowly on the mend, and in another few months, We can help you in preparing your advert if you hopes to be able to get back behind the keyboard and wish. even start drinking small amounts of ale again. An average of 3,500+ copies are distributed to CAMRA Branch members, to Highlands & Islands I have not mentioned CAMRA’s biggest campaign in brewers, to Good Beer Guide listed and Real Ale this issue (Scrapping the stupid Progressive Beer Duty pubs; plus extra copies to advertisers. Escalator) but another issue is gradually getting more We welcome your letters, news, views and opinions. attention from CAMRA—the misleading dispense of Let us know what is happening at your local, or tell us Craft KEG. A growing number of breweries are using about pubs you have visited. the same pumpclip design and name for the Cask and Keg versions of their beer. Confusing for drinkers but Thanks to all who have taken trouble to send in pub and beer reports, or articles, who keep us up-to-date also dishonest and probably breaking the Trade De- with brews and what is happening in local pubs. scriptions Act. Watch this space. Cheers! Ed. Please note that the editor reserves the right to edit Trading Standards Office: contributions sent for publication. Contact details for issues such as no price lists or consistent short measures - 0845 600 4 222 Summer edition deadline is 1st June, with publication e-mail - [email protected] in time for the main tourist season. What’s yours then? Newsletter of Highlands & Western Isles CAMRA - Spring 2013 3 More bars with Ale in Inverness The Chieftain Hotel on Millburn Road, has had the most spent on it by Punch and Liz 3 more bars in the City now have or may Lawson, the licensee which has refurbished have Cask Ale after Punch Taverns helped the whole hotel inside and out. The Sports them renovate. All 3 establishments reo- bar area of the hotel has been refurbished pened early in December 2012 after the few and redecorated and now has 2 handpumps weeks work was carried out. for Cask Ale, 1 of which is being used so far. Liz expects the 2nd pump to be operational The Corriegarth in the Crown has benefitted during the busier, tourist season. In both establishments the standard ale is Tetley Bitter but in the summer months this should be supplemented with other ales from the Punch inventory. The 3rd bar to benefit is The Gellions on Bridge Street, one of Inverness’ oldest sur- viving establishments which was sold to a pub co. several years ago. Punch and licen- see Rory Munro have redone and updated all areas of the place while keeping the from a major renovation and modernisation Scottish style and the emphasis on good by Punch and the licensee, Christopher food and live music. Rory hopes to be able O’Malley. This includes the addition of 4 to offer Cask ales in the summer – here’s handpumps, 2 of which have been in use so hoping. far, offering “Corriegarth Cask Ale” and Happy Chappy which is going well. The new The Keg in Baron Taylor’s Street was also bar design has created much more space, refurbished back in the summer of 2012 but integrating the old, small lounge and the does not plan to offer real ale. room that was behind the old bar but has kept some major features of the old bar These costly and comprehensive renova- area creating a pleasant and contemporary tions were sanctioned by the owners, Punch area but still giving the feel of a traditional Taverns but the licensees had to partly fi- style of lounge bar in which to enjoy a pint nance the works. In these recessionary or 2. times, this must have been pretty tough and brave to manage, especially when the licen- sees don’t own the places. It is difficult to comprehend how they can afford to take on something like that and still be able to make a living from running the venues. Good luck to them anyway. At the time of writing, it is noticeable that advertising for the re-openings talks about (Continued on page 6) What’s yours then? Newsletter of Highlands & Western Isles CAMRA - Spring 2013 4 What’s yours then? Newsletter of Highlands & Western Isles CAMRA - Spring 2013 5 (Continued from page 4) “Cask Ales”, not “Real Ales”. It may be that the ales are not being kept and dispensed to be fully classed as “Real” but the simple fact that Punch are including handpumps being put into venues that previously were only offering cold and fizzy keg beers and lagers is a good sign. We wish all 3 establishments well and hope they are able to reap the benefits of offer- ing good, real ale to their customers. Brewery. Lauders is a city centre bar on a corner site that has the look and feel of a Reports are also reaching us that Lauders great, traditional Scottish bar but for the on the corner of Baron Taylor’s Street and past few years has just been a lower de- Church Street has an Orkney ale hand- nomination keg bar. Here’s hoping this real pump. This has been confirmed by Orkney ale offering helps Lauder’s to thrive. 2 CAMRA members from Leicestershire enjoyed another tour of the North of Scotland including Orkney in February. They were both very pleased with the quality and availabil- ity of ale here and to the North, including Wick, but specifically mentioned The Central Hotel and The Commercial Hotel in Thurso which had 1 well kept ale on each. Highlands & Western Isles Pub-of-the-Year 2010 Open all day, food served all day, a great range of Real Ales At the top of Castle Street, Inverness, overlooking the River Ness at the start/finish of the Great Glen Way Tel: 01463 718178 What’s yours then? Newsletter of Highlands & Western Isles CAMRA - Spring 2013 6 Plockton Hotel Enjoy a real ale in one of the most stunning beer gardens in the west coast! Now with three hand pull pumps serving real ales from only Scottish breweries Visit our website: www.plocktonhotel.co.uk Contact us on: 01599 544 274 e-mail: [email protected] Or for ‘whats on tap’ updates, follow us on Twitter @plocktonhotel What’s yours then? Newsletter of Highlands & Western Isles CAMRA - Spring 2013 7 Torridon trip 13th October 2012 ises it is a malty and fruity bitter, that And there we are on our last beer trip of promises a lot on taste and does not disap- the year, leaving Inverness under a cloud, point. Maybe a bit lifeless in the glass, but unable to stop at the best coffee retailer in certainly lively in the mouth. This year we Scotland, because of a major refurbish- had a member of staff interested in the ment, (the BP station, according to it’s product and talking to us about it; a huge improvement on our last two visits. manager – Ed) to make our way towards rd our first stop at the Kinlochewe hotel. This 3 stop Badachro Inn recent GBG re-entry is run by Andrew and This visit the landlord admitted to using Gail Staddon. Recently they decided to switch from Skye to Orkney breweries. We took the time to take some pictures with the Camra camera, operated by yours tru- ly.